Jewish Identity, al-Andalus, and Interfaith Communities: The Medieval Legacy of Islamic Spain

Abstract:The Jews of al-Andalus experienced two interconnected military conquests that constituted major shifts in the history of medieval Iberia. The Almohad invasion of 1148 resulted in mass displacement of Jews, many of whom fled to the Christian kingdoms of northern Spain and Provence in modern-day southern France. Subsequently, the rapid territorial expansion of the Christian kingdoms of Castile and Aragon following the 1212 Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa ensured that by the mid-thirteenth century, much of the remaining Jewish population in al-Andalus was now living under Christian rule. However, changes in political territory did not necessitate total cultural transformation. Indeed, legacies of Jewish life in al-Andalus continued to permeate the culture of its diaspora, but discontinuities also emerged with each succeeding generation. Ultimately, the perpetuation of cultural symbols such as ideas of exceptionalism within the diaspora, use of the Arabic language, references to admired figures of the Andalusi past, and adaptations to professional activity that enabled the continuation of trading practices demonstrates the strong presence of the idea of al-Andalus in the identity of the medieval Jewish communities of twelfth- and thirteenth-century Christian Spain and Provence.